Unlocking the Door...What is Your Key?

"The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence." ~ Eddie Robinson

Chris Guillebeau writes some insightful stuff on his blog The Art of Nonconformity. I admit that I started following it particularly because of that title. But I keep following it because he has a way of looking at the world and distilling it to the most basic truths. I dig that.

He wrote a post recently that really provoked me. He wrote about “All the things you don’t need.” That title alone is enough to give you pause.

If you are like most you are always thinking about the next big thing that you need. Or rather, want. There is a big difference. I am no stranger to that sort of thinking.

I have an addiction to all things beading and jewelry. There are some who joke that we need to form a 12-step support group for this beading addiction (I say why? I like it and it makes me feel good!). Sometimes I just can’t stop myself from buying that really shimmery strand of pearls or that new clasp. And tools. Don’t even get me started. You all have heard about my $70 hammer by now (is that NASA calling? They want their overpriced hammer back.)

All those art beads that I am now seeking out on Etsy or through the blogs of some of my favorite artisans are achingly beautiful. I have even bought a whole treasure chest full of 'em. But I don’t use the ones I have fast enough and so I realize that I need to start editing myself (easier said than done). If that pretty component (like this one....from Urban Rose)

is still there when I really do want to use it, it will be meant to be.

I can lurk on Etsy, but that is all that I can do.

One of my other desire-addictions is virtual house hunting. I have been tired of my abode for some time. My neighborhood seems to be swinging in the wrong direction. I feel that we are bursting at the seams. The kids don’t have a space to call their own and my Tiny Dancer’s room is dollhouse sized. My kitchen is outdated and doesn’t function well. My master bathroom is far from a luxurious retreat. I discovered how easy it is to stalk the listings on the real estate circuit in my area.

I can picture myself living the good life in any one of a dozen homes up for sale (like this one that is completely out of my financial reach...but I have loved it from afar ever since it was built and now they have the audacity to put it on the market!)...

complete with their cool furniture and accessories (or maybe I would have Pottery Barn come over and just style my life...how much would that cost?). It doesn’t help that my own sister moved last year into a gorgeous home with lofty ceilings and granite countertops.

I will admit that jealousy can have a powerful grip. But what do I really need anyway? I may want a newer home with more amenities and spaciousness. But I don’t keep the one I have now clean (not when there's beading to be done and baseball games to watch) and I could certainly let go of some of my clutter and hording issues (don’t worry…I am not a candidate for “Clean House”…that show makes me feel that I am not nearly as troubled when I watch it). I am working on it.

I have a great studio and a comfortable place to lay my head. There are so many who don’t even have a roof, let alone a walk-in closet. Who am I to complain? Someday I might have that house that I dream of, and make enough money doing what I love to support that lifestyle, but for now I need to resolve to be happy where I am and with who I am.

Chris Guillebeau writes that there are but a few things that we absolutely need...

"My passions were all gathered together like fingers
that made a fist. Drive is considered aggression today; I knew it then as
purpose." ~ Bette Davis

Passion – for what you believe in and for something that makes your life worth living.

"Vision without action is a daydream. Action without
vision is a nightmare." ~ Japanese proverb

Vision – to see where you are headed and to know when you get there.

"Too many people overvalue what they are not and
undervalue what they are." ~Malcolm Forbes

Value – for what you bring to the world that wasn’t there before and for how you can be an inspiration to others.

"The quality of a person's life is in direct
proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field
of endeavor." ~ Vince Lombardi

Commitment – to keep at it (whatever it is) even when you want to give up and walk away.

Very thought provoking indeed.

Passion. Vision. Value. Commitment. It cannot get more basic than this.

I think we sometimes feel that life could be great, if only....{fill in your own blank}.

But why not be great right now? (And stop with the "if only" mentality!)

My 11 year old son Sport-o is on a traveling baseball team. I have been watching the team up close as the 'dugout mom', taking pictures, recording it all.

What I see is that the kids who are most successful aren't the ones with excuses

...the mound is too low

…the ump can't make the ‘right’ call

… the other team is too loud

The successful players are the ones

...who rise to the occasion

…who look like they are having fun at all times

…who pick themselves up and dust themselves off when they have had a tumble in the dirt whether they were safe or out

…they are the ones who live, eat, and dream baseball

… see every pitch as an opportunity

…know their place on the team and perform it willingly

...pick their teammates up and cheer them on

…understand that sometimes you get a hit, and sometimes you get an out, but you always get to play the game

...they are the ones who know that there comes a time when you have to be the sacrifice in order to get the other runner in scoring position

...that you are part of the team (and there is no "I" in that).

Passion. Vision. Value. Commitment. That is the sort of success I hope for my son and all his teammates. And the sort of life I hope for myself.

What sort of keys to unlock the door to personal excellence do you hope to pass along to those around you? Do tell!

Check It Out::The Art Of Nonconformity

Enjoy the day!